5-Member Framingham Board of Health Meets For First Time

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FRAMINGHAM – The newly-expanded 5-member Framingham Board of Health met for the first time Tuesday night, April 12.

Chair David Moore called the meeting to order and welcomed the three new members – Karen Beauregard, from District 6, Jeri Bryant, from District 7, and Darlene Connors, from District 3.

In December, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation to expand the 3-member Board of Health to five members. The 11-member City Council had voted in Spring 2021 to expanded the Health Board from 3 to 5 members.

Also in December, one of the three members opted not to seek re-appointment. Her term ended on December 31, 2021. So, on February 23, Mayor Charlie Sisitsky recommending three Framingham residents to the Board from 10 applicants.

The Framingham City Council approved the nominations of the three women on March 15.

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The 5-member Board of Health got an update on the grand-funded tobacco control program.

The program started in 2013, with 9 communities, and the program was run by the Town of natick.

Now, the regional program is run by City of Framingham. The program director is Olivia Dufour, took over the program in 2020, when the program expanded to 13 communities.

When the program did compliance checks, no Framingham retailer sold tobacco to minors, said Dufour.

She said she plans to do another round of compliance checks, and is waiting to hear on the Fiscal Year 2023 grant funding.

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Framingham Health Director Alex DePalo gave an update on vacant positions in the department.

The Assistant Director has been vacant since she was promoted in 2021.

The Community Health Manager position has been vacant since February 2022.

Chair Dr. David Moore said that he would prefer the meeting in May continue to be remote and on Zoom and not in person.